16 science-backed ways to overcome depression naturally

Staying up all night for one night – and therefore depriving yourself of sleep – has been shown to lift depression for as long as a month. Although researchers aren’t sure why it works, they speculate that one night of sleep deprivation may reset the sleep clock, enabling people who are depressed to sleep better.

Here are 25 things you need to know about sleep right now. 

Employees at a retirement community who took a drumming class felt more energetic and less depressed six weeks after the class than before they started it. Researchers speculate that drumming helps to relax your body. Whacking a few notes out on your desk may help, but joining a weekly drumming circle may help more, particularly since it provides camaraderie with others, which, as noted earlier, also helps with depression.

Many people with depression also have insomnia. Switching your sleep location can help, says Dr. Cumella. You can also reduce insomnia by getting up at the same time every day, never napping for more than 20 minutes, shunning caffeine after 3pm and relaxing for an hour before bed.

Here are 13 surprising things that could be causing your sleep woes. 

When something goes wrong, resist the urge to mentally beat up on yourself. “Give yourself permission to be a human being and not a human doing,” says Karl D. La Rowe, a licensed clinical social worker and mental health investigator. When you catch yourself mentally berating yourself for some supposed failing, replace your negative thoughts with the phrase “I am doing the best I know how to do. When I know a better way and can do it, I will.”

Sometimes being stuck in a rut is just that. Get out of it and your mood may come along with you. Take a day off from work and go explore a town nearby. Go out to a restaurant for dinner – even though it’s a Tuesday night. Take a different route as you drive to work, wear something that is totally “not you,” or take your camera and go on a photography hike. For a major blue mood, consider that it might be time for you to take a holiday.

Many people feel depressed during the winter months, when they don’t get enough natural sunlight. Physical exercise, however, encourages the release of hormones and neurochemicals that boost mood, says Richard Brown, MD, associate professor of clinical psychiatry and co-author of Stop Depression Now. Walking outside during the day will give you a few short doses of sunlight, also shown to boost mood, particularly in the winter.

Numerous studies have shown that exercise increases both the production and release of serotonin. Find an exercise program that you enjoy doing and you’ll find it’s surprisingly easy to fit in a little exercise every day. While aerobic exercise is the most effective way to boost serotonin, calming exercises like yoga are also beneficial. Or get a day of vigorous outdoor recreation, like hiking, canoeing, or biking. Let the combination of nature and physical activity work their magic on your mood.

Sign up here to get Reader’s Digest’s favourite stories straight to your inbox!

Source: RD.com